We Fly Again
by MissCustomerService
Summary: This is the sequel to the successful story, The Days We Flew Together. This is the tale of Vul and Valentine Raynals' life fifteen years after the Halberd was downed. Now married and with two children, they are a happy couple, having everything they've ever wanted. The only problem is, Vul's past, lies, and secrets are catching up to him, as well as a man who plots to kill him.
1. Prologue

June 18th, 5017  
Dearest Father,

I do hope you've been doing well, and I wish to start this letter off by apologizing for not responding to your letter when I received it a month ago, but alas, the day I received it was the day I birthed our first child.  
Vul was so happy when he first held his baby; a healthy boy. We've named him Victor. Victor Bryce Raynals. He's a beautiful little angel, and already looks like his father, right down to the birthmark on his left ankle, it's so precious.  
Victor is a quiet little one, always sleeping soundly through the night, not crying often. It makes a very peaceful household!

Anyhow, I do hope you and mother drop by to visit someday. You are always welcome.  
Do say hello to mother for me.  
Your loving daughter,  
-Valentine Margret Raynals

—–—-–—

October 11th, 5020

Dearest Father,

Just the other day, on October the 8th, I gave birth to our second child. Vul was as equally happy when he held this one as he was with Victor, whom is now three years old. Time flies by quickly when you're in love, does it not?

This one is a darling little girl, whom we've named Valkyrie Corliss Raynals. I do hope mother doesn't mind we've used her first name as Valkyrie's middle name. Valkyrie is a little more fussy than Victor was, even at a few days old, but she never cries in her papa's arms. She sleeps like a log when Vul holds her, though, this makes Victor a little jealous, so he'll climb right into Vul's lap whenever he's sitting down, just so he can cuddle with his father too.

I came home the other day from doing some errands, and found them curled up in his arms, fast asleep, and my captain looking more tired than I've ever seen him. Looks as though raising two little ones is harder than captaining a warship!

I miss you both dearly, do come home soon. I'm sure Valkyrie would love to meet you, and Victor would like to see his grandparents again.

Your loving daughter,  
-Valentine Margret Raynals

-—–-

You, reader, must be wondering why there are two letters, between Valentine Raynals and her father, Argus Raynals, both of which were written three years apart. Well, they hold a significance in two ways. One, is because these mark the dates that Victor Bryce and Valkyrie Colriss Raynals were born into the world, secondly, because they were reported 'lost', never reaching her father, and thus, having to be re-written. Now, suspicious, isn't it, that these are the only two letters that were ever 'lost' between Valentine and Argus? I think so. And I'm sure you think that as well. Reader, the events in this story take place fifteen years after the Warship Halberd was downed, and thirteen years since Victor Bryce was born.

In that time, a man who's hatred for Vul has been growing evermore, all because of one, crucial event in both Captain and this man's life. This reason, this event, whatever it may be, has been hidden for twenty years. Hidden by Captain Vul.

But, Vul has never told Valentine, or anybody. Only him, the man, and Sir Meta Knight know of the event.  
Now why would Vul hide this? None know. Vul's hidden many things in his heart, and those things have never surfaced, yet they aren't forgotten,

Dear reader, before I go onward, I must tell you the tragic thing about secrets, that we all learn painfully at some point in our lives. Secrets never remain hidden forever, no matter how hard we try to bury them in the past, leave them for lost, we cannot. We cannot even hope to. Eventually, these secrets accumulate with lies that were created to cover them up, to prevent them from being known. These lies will grow. And grow. And grow some more, until we can no longer hide them, and sooner or later, they explode out, being spilled into the world by the secret-keeper. It's things like this that ruin friendships, marriages, anything really. It takes years for trust to be built, but letting out a secret of any sort can break it down in an instant. Maybe you knew this from your own experiences, maybe I've taught you this before you can experience it, in which case, I do hope it is the latter. Though if it is the former, I know how you feel.

Back to the story now. The secrets Vul Raynals holds even now in his heart are held within this story, within the pages you desire to read. These secrets have been carefully concealed in the darkness, where they belong, chained in chains, locked with locks.  
To kindly, not be touched.

Reader, I forewarn you now. These secrets were meant to be kept in darkness. I won't tell you to put down this book, I won't tell you to stop reading this very sentence I have written, but I will only tell you this:

You are about to expose the lies and secrets Vul Raynals has hidden carefully. You are about to learn his, and many others' pasts. You are about to bring them into the light, where they don't belong.

You are about to touch those secrets, about to pick the locks, unchain the chains... You are about to open the box that the Captain has locked away within the darkest depths of his heart, and thrown away the keys for.

You, are about to perhaps ruin everything. But I've only perked your interest, have I not? That is what I hoped to do, even if that was a warning. You, are willing to risk ruining things just to learn secrets.

I do believe I've covered my bases, informing you that you are unlocking the dark secrets of two men who's lives are intertwined. One, a successful Captain, with a wife and family of his own, the other, a high-ranking assassin, who has devoted the past twenty years of his life plotting the murder of the captain.

If you wish to know everything, how this story unfolds, read onward.  
If not, then I do not think of you any different than when you started reading.

This, this is the tale of a Captain, a First Officer, bound by love and by their children...

An assassin and his brother, a clueless mechanic, one of which plots the Captain's death..

Knights, lies, secrets, and darkness.. And a little girl, with her father's golden blonde hair.

This, dear reader, is the tale of them all.

This tale, dear reader, is, as you may know...

is We Fly Again.


	2. Chapter 1, Our New Life

She sat on the front porch of their house, at the edge of Orange Ocean with her husband, seated in a porch swing with him, and laying down, her head resting in his lap.  
Vul's fingers ran through her hair, a faint smile on his face as he watched Sailor Dee, now a grown man of twenty seven, but with the same gentle features, and soft brown eyes, laughing and playing with thirteen-year-old Victor, who was growing into a fine young lad. Victor was strong, like his father, with the same amber eyes and broad shoulders, he also kept his golden-blonde hair cropped close to his head. He aspired to be like his father, despite Vul worrying about the boy picking up on his dialect, though it seemed that would not happen.

Sitting nearby the pair was his daughter, Valkyrie, the gentle little girl with a curiosity bigger than herself, and she was fairly short. She had her father's amber eyes, and golden hair, like her brother, but already, at nine years old, it had grown down to the middle of her back. Valkyrie had grown to be the quieter of the children, Victor, the more outgoing.

Obviously, Vul loved them equally. A thought came to his mind, remembering the time Sailor, on his twenty-fifth birthday, had offered to get his own place, or to start paying rent. Both Vul and Valentine declined both ideas, saying he was more than welcome to remain living in their basement as long as he pleased, given the boy was like Vul's son. Vul had joked that day he was getting too old to run around with his children. At forty-two years old, he could think that, though he was still pretty active.

Valentine was thirty-nine. She was getting worried at the thought that in a matter of years, she'd be no longer able to bear children. Vul had said it was perfectly fine, and that Sailor could still count as a child.  
That, had reassured Valentine, and made her happy.

Now, as he watched the sun hang low in the sky, turning the sky a beautiful, fiery orange, he smiled too, and looked down at his wife, who's eyes were closed, though she was not asleep. "...Ye know, I almost miss t'e days we were aboard t'e Halberd. Gave me a reason ta 'ave me dialect. Now... Well, it seems kind o' silly, like it did back when I was a lad." He mused to her, his smile fading.

"Nonsense Vul." She replied, opening her eyes the slightest bit to look up at him. "...Your dialect makes you, you. You wouldn't be Captain Vul without it, would you?"

"Aye, I suppose, but I ain't a captain no more, lass."

"So? You are still my captain."

He chuckled, that soft smile of his returning. "...Thank ya lassie. Ye still be m' first officer. Ya always will be." Vul told her, taking her hand gently, and raising it to his lips, giving it a light kiss.

Valentine giggled softly, adjusting her position carefully. "...Vul Raynals, you can be the most amazing man.."

"Aren't I always?"

"Of course you are. You know what I meant."

"I love ye, Valentine..."

"I love you more."

"No ya don't." He chuckled, looking up again as Victor managed to tackle Sailor to the ground, and the two began to wrestle.  
"Ey lads! Ya be careful! I don't want either o' ye gettin' 'urt!"

They stopped for a moment, looking up at Vul, Victor smiling a little. "We won't get hurt, dad, we're only playing!"

"A'ight, I know lad. So long as yer 'avin' fun." He chuckled, leaning back again, continuing to stroke Valentine's hair.

Little did any of them realize, there he was, getting more confident by the day, sitting perched in one of the trees near the house, watching for a short while, before slipping off back to his home base.  
This man, was the man who wanted Vul dead.  
This was the man who's name, in Dream Land, became synonymous with death.

This man, was Collin Arthur Salusman.


	3. Chapter 2, We Meet Collin

His name was Collin, Collin Arthur Salusman. He was the reason many respected, and not so respected, Dreamlanders were murdered. Mostly just him. He had a fairly complex MO, which varied between poisons, shootings, stabbings, hangings, strangulations, suffocations, and any other method of murder that could be known. Whatever you could think of, Collin had mastered. He could kill with deadly precision and swiftness, usually completing his work and absconding the scene before anybody could even call the authorities. He left no trace, none. Nobody could ever trace him. Only the underworld of Dream Land knew him, as he came to the occasional poker game, and boasted about his murders, over a match and a few drinks.

Though, he was a contract killer. A hired gun. He killed for a living, which made him dangerous, both in a physical and mental sense. None of these murders meant a thing to him, only for the cash. He enjoyed the terror his victims felt, and their bloodshed.

He found his female victims easier to lure away from groups, especially given his handsome appearance. Tall, muscular skin, short kept black hair.. He was a attractive man to say the least, usually wearing a long sleeved black button-up, which, he usually kept unbuttoned, exposing his bare abdomen. He had a tattoo around his navel, resembling the sun.  
He also usually wore dark grey jeans, and black, leather boots. He usually had a saber strapped on his back, and two pistols and two daggers concealed on his belt, under his shirt, and poison tablets in his pockets.

He was a dangerous man, who covered all his bases. In one back pocket, he had black leather gloves, to hide his fingerprints when committing the actual murder, should he have to touch anything to escape.

To the authorities of Dream Land, he was known as a shadow, not having a name to them, or anything in their database to identify him, to the underworld of Dream Land, he was only Collin, nothing else.

To His brother, and those who had known him personally, he was Collin Arthur Salusman.

At the moment, he was sitting at a table at one of the local underworld bars, sitting with a few of his buddies, one, a shorter, plumper man with red hair and brown eyes, named Richard, but called Ricky. Another, a man with dark brown hair that went down to his shoulders, with green eyes, named Andrew, but called Andy, the third was one with silver hair that faded to black at the back if his neck, named Geoff, but called Geo.

The three men all had ale, but Collin, a glass of wine. He had pretty high standards for a gun for hire.

"So, Col, that latest murder of yours.. Tell us about it, and how much you were paid." Ricky requested, Geo nodding.  
"Yeah. Speak up Col. Who were they?" he asked eagerly.

"Alright, alright, if you must, must know, and given I can trust you three, it was Miranda Crimina, one of Dedede's serving Dee's.

"No way... the orange-haired chick with the two different coloured eyes?"

"That'd be the one, Andy."

"How much did you get paid? Come on Col, tell us more man. Tell us more." Geo half-begged, taking a sip of his ale.

"You probably won't believe me, but I don't lie to you boys, do I?"

"Oh just spit it out man! How much were you paid?!" Andy demanded, sitting on the edge of his seat.

"Thirty five hundred Deden." Collin said smugly, grinning.

"No way! On a serving maid? How the hell did that happen?!" Ricky hissed, looking confused.

"Apparently the girl didn't bring my hire something as he wanted. I didn't get it either, but a gig's a gig, am I right?"

"I guess. Hell of a payday for you." Ricky grumbled, sipping his ale and looking away. At the same moment he did this, Geo leaned forward, looking around, before lowering his voice and speaking to the assassin as he swirled his wine in his glass.  
"...So, how's project V coming, Col?"

This grabbed the other men's attention, and they leaned forward to hear as well.  
"Project V? Damn, you boys are asking a lot of questions tonight. But, I'm in a good mood, so I'll answer." He said, his red gaze flicking up to look at them all. "I trust you. You tell anybody about Project V, and I'll shank you, a'ight?"

Geo, Andy, and Ricky all nodded, all looking eager to hear the latest report.

"Good. Project V is going fine. I'm almost done the planning, soon it'll be put into action, and it'll be easy as killing a wench." He chuckled, leaning back a little. "Vul's got a little girl. She's nine."

"So? What does she have to do with killing the man?"

"Another simple question from you, Andy. Look at these." He said, reaching into a pocket within his shirt, and putting two yellowing pieces of paper on the table. "Be careful with those, will you?"

The men slid the papers over to them carefully, all reading silently, before Geo looked up. "5017? That was thirteen years ago, wasn't it?"

"Mhm, keep reading."

After a few moments, Andy looked up, "Valentine Margret Raynals? Who's she?"

"Vul's wife you numbskull..." Ricky grumbled, sipping his drink again.

"...Give the man a prize." Collin said sarcastically, chuckling. "Yes, she's Vul's wife. I stole these letters from her father's, Argus Raynals, the bar owner in Grape Garden, mailbox. Once I saw they were from Valentine, I took them. The one from '17 was when Victor was born, the one from '20 was from when Valkyrie was born."

"Why are these relevant to Vul's murder, if I may ask?"

"Easy, Geo." Collin said cockily, taking a sip of his wine before answering. "Vul took all I loved away from me, I'm going to take the things he loves from him one by one.  
I am going to kidnap Valkyrie Colriss Raynals."


	4. Chapter 3 Talk Of The New Warship

Whilst Collin discussed with his friends, Vul, Valentine, Valkyrie, Victor, and Sailor were all sitting in the living room of the house, Valkyrie asleep, laying on Vul, sitting in his lap.

"So, Vul..." Sailor began, looking up from a book he was reading. "You hear back from Meta Knight yet?"

"Bout what, lad?"

"You know... _It_."

"Ah... Aye, t'at. She be comin' along smoothly. I've seen 'er a few times."

"Seen what, dad?" Victor asked, looking interested.

"I ever tell ye 'bout t'e warship I used ta work on, lad? T'e one I was Captain of?"

"The Halberd?"

"T'at be t'e one, aye. Me and yer mother worked on it tagether. 'Ow we met, actually. T'at woulda been, oh, fifteen years ago now.. Before ya were born. She was t'e First Officer."

"You've told me that. You've told me pretty much everything about it. Now what were you talking about, dad?"

"Well, lad, t'ere 'as been a second Halberd in construction t'e past ten years, and occasionally I've been overseein' her construction. She be a lovely lookin' ship, given t'at she was finished last week."

"Really?! Cool! Can I see it one day?"

"Aye d' believe ya can. 'Specially since I've been asked ta Captain it again, and yer mother's been asked ta be it's First officer. So, we migh' be livin' aboard 't sooner 'r later."

"Wow.. That's awesome.. Will I get to work on it too?"

"Oh, lad.." Vul chuckled, smiling softly. "I'd 'ave ta ask Sir Meta Knight t'at. But, I'll see what I can d', a'ight?"

"Thanks dad."

"Not a problem, laddie. But, ye really should be 'eaded ta bed now. Ye got school in t'e morn, ye and yer sister. Ye go get ready, a'ight?"

"Aye Captain." Victor smirked, giving a playful salute.

"Ye did t'e salute wrong, lad. I'll 'ave ta show ye 'ow ta d' it properly, if her gon' be workin' aboard t'e Halberd."

Victor chuckled, before getting up to go get ready for bed. Sailor looked up after he left, about to say something, before noting Valkyrie was still sleeping on Vul, so he went back to reading. Vul noticed this, and furrowed his brow, looking at him in concern. "Somethin' be wrong, lad?"

"N-No, it's nothing."

"Sailor, what's the matter?" Valentine Spoke up, looking worried now as well. "You're bothered by something.."

"...I... What if this Halberd goes down like the last one? What if we can't all get off if it does? What if-.."

Vul held a hand up to silence him. "Lad, yer stressin' o'er nothin'. T'e ship won't go down, given t'at we aren't gon' be takin' o'er Dream Land. We're gon' be protectin' it."

"H-How do you know?"

"Lad. I'm gon' be t'e ships' Captain. I've been told e'rythin' I need ta be knowin'. Trust me lad."

"I do, Vul. I always h-have trusted you."

"Glad ya d', seein' as I've known ya since ye were a wee one."

Sailor only nodded, slowly standing up. "...I-I'll be headed off to bed now, I think."

"Ye d' t'at. 'Ave a good rest, lad. I'll be seein' ye in t'e morn."

"Of course. Goodnight Vul, Valentine." He said, before leaving the room.

"Good night Sailor." Valentine said after him, before yawning, and standing up herself. "I'll take Valkyrie to her room if you want, then I'll head to bed. You aren't going to see Sir Meta Knight again tonight, are you?"

"Nay lassie. I be here fer t'nigh'."

"Good, good. I'll see you in bed then, darling." She smiled, walking over and giving her husband a light kiss on the cheek, before picking up Valkyrie, and walking to the young girl's room to tuck her into bed.

Vul watched her go, leaning back into the living chair he sat in. All would go smoothly with this Halberd, he knew that. He wouldn't let it go down again.  
Yet, he got a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. And that nagging feeling made him worry. Something was going to happen.. He got that feeling. He got the feeling it would be worse than the Halberd sinking... Much worse. Yet, he had not guesses as to what could happen.

And he could never hope to know what would happen, he could never hope to dream, think, or guess what would happen.


End file.
